A male Carolina Wren sings at first light. He has a repertoire of several different song variations and will sing one about 15 times before changing his tune.

A Zebra Longwing Butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. The life cycle, from egg to caterpillar to butterfly, takes about three weeks. When a caterpillar hatches from an egg, it eats voraciously for several days, then pupates (forms a chrysalis). During the next two weeks, the chrysalis transforms into a butterfly. After the butterfly emerges, it expands its wings and dries off, then flies off to forage for food (flower nectar and pollen).

Mangroves stabilize coastlines by reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides. The root system attracts juveniles of thousands of fish species. Mangroves also absorb and store carbon long term, making them a critical solution in the fight against climate change.

Dedicated in 1977, the Safety Harbor Gazebo serves as a Main Street gathering spot.

Daytona Beach

The Barn Owl has a distinctive white, heart-shaped face and dark eyes. It roosts in high places such as barn rafters and church belfries, preying on mice, rats and other small mammals at night. This Barn Owl resides at the Moccasin Lake Raptor Sanctuary.

Moccasin Lake Raptor Sanctuary provides permanent care for over thirteen species of raptors. It also provides community education and manages urban osprey nesting platforms throughout the county.

Florida's ample freshwater and the temperate climate explain why it is the most diverse turtle state in the U.S.

Safety Harbor Marina

Manatee at the Safety Harbor Pier. Manatees are an aquatic relative of the elephant. They graze on sea grass which helps maintain the health of shallow rivers, bays, estuaries, canals and coastal waters.

Swallow-tailed Kites spend most of their time in the air, capturing and swallowing their food in flight. Rarely flapping their wings, they soar and make tight turns, rotating their tail to steer.

Great Crested Flycatchers stay high in the tree canopy to avoid competition with other birds so they are difficult to see from the ground. The male has a gray throat and breast and a bright lemon-yellow belly.

While not as slender as a typical heron, the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron’s sharp black-and-white face and long yellow plumes lend it a touch of elegance. They forage at all hours of the day and night, stalking crustaceans in shallow wetlands

Fisherman, Safety Harbor Pier

Dog walker, Safety Harbor Marina

White Ibises forage by walking slowly in shallow water, sweeping their bills from side to side and probing at bottom, finding food by touch. They also forage on land, especially on mud or in short grass.

Northern Mockingbirds continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life.

Alligator Lake

The oldest recorded Great Blue Heron was over 24 years old.